California officials fear 'tough' 2022 fire season

Firefighters brace for hot, dry conditions

Fire officials said they anticipate a challenging fire season during a news conference Thursday.

Fire officials said they anticipate a challenging fire season during a news conference involving a dozen agencies Thursday.

With a tough fire season expected, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby explained 90% of wildfires in California are directly related to human causes.

This comes as the cause of the Laguna Niguel fire is being investigated as "human related." The May 11 fire destroyed 20 homes and damaged nearly a dozen other homes in Laguna Niguel.

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Officials said during Thursday's press conference to expect strict brush clearance inspections. In addition, these fire officials are considering updating the residential safety guidelines for homes located in wildfire areas. With mutual aid being a critical factor of firefighting in California, officials announced adding resources, including three helicopters.

In the meantime, California will continue leasing its superscoopers from Canada and contracting through the Forest Service to use the massive DC-10 tankgers.